Using Google Docs in the Writing Class: Student-teacher Collaboration

Meet the Presenter:

My name is Ahmad Ghashmari. I'm currently in my last semester in the Instructional Technology master's program at the University of Akron. I have been a full-time ESL instructor at UA for three years. I have a great interest in incorporating technology in the teaching and learning of English as a second language and that is the reason I decided to pursue a degree in instructional technology. Google Docs is one of the digital tools that I regularly use in my classes, and in this presentation I'm going to talk about how this great powerful tool can be used in a writing class.

Presentation Topic Overview:

More and more people nowadays use Google Docs for writing. Google Docs's simplicity, accessibility, and automation have made it a first choice for writers all over the world. But one quality of Google Docs that makes it powerful and effective is the possibility and easiness of collaborative work. On Google Docs writers can share their drafts with as many people as they want. Sharing makes it easy to collaborate on writing projects without being physically present in one specific place. Students can now work on a draft, share feedback and watch their work as it progresses in real time. Teachers can monitor students collaborative work and provide feedback and comments on the fly. Instant feedback allows students to edit and improve their writing and make sure they're on the right track before making a final submission. The following presentation shows how Google Docs can be implemented in a writing class.

Presentation:

Part 1: Intro to Google Docs

Part 2: Creating and Sharing Documents

Part 3: Collaborative Writing and Feedback

ISTE Standards:

With the implementation of this technology in students' learning, the teacher has applied the following standards and performance indicators:

1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity

2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments

3. Model digital age work and learning

5. Engage in professional growth and leadership

Resources:

Kessler, G., Bikowski, D., & Boggs, J. (2012). Collaborative writing among second language learners in academic web-based projects. Language Learning & Technology, 16(1), 91-109.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/30862473/kesslerbikowskiboggs.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ56TQJRTWSMTNPEA&Expires=1443573796&Signature=x9Xvof9JEwxKJyTATpce319WzO4%3D&response-content-disposition=inline
Rubin, Jamie Todd. "How I Wrote 400K Words in a Year." http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/24/how-i-wrote-400k-words-in-a-year.html

Zhou, W., Simpson, E., & Domizi, D. P. (2012). Google Docs in an Out-of-Class Collaborative Writing Activity. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 24(3), 359-375. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1000688.pdf